Rick Huckstepp•30 Sept 2016

REVIEW

Travelander DC4

You get the best of both worlds with this top-notch, slide-on ute camper

The old saying ‘If it ain’t broke don’t fix it’ has a ring of truth to it when it comes to the latest, slide-on camper from Queensland’s Travelander.

This writer looked at the earlier models some years ago and the original concept remains pretty well unchanged since then.

The changes that have evolved in these units has been undertaken to offer more strength with less weight and the usual catch-ups in technology such as LED lighting, battery management, diesel heating… not to mention

going gas-free!

LIGHT AND EASY

Packed away for travel the Travelander DC4 has a dry weight of 530kg and will fill the tray of a Landcruiser utility.

The closed down fibreglass shell measures just 1150mm in height so wind resistance is kept to a minimum when long hauling on the tar as most of the body is tucked behind the headboard or ute cab.

Lift-off campers offer a lot to those who run only the one, cab-chassis vehicle for farm work, recreation or working a trade.

Four windable legs attached to each corner of the unit allow it to be easily lifted off the tray after ratchet strap tiedowns are released. Parked in the back of the shed or carport the space underneath isn’t wasted either, as other gear can be stored here and to load up again, simply reverse the procedure and go camping.

Attached to the front wall of the DC4 is the diesel heater fuel tank (and accompanying exhaust) as well as an Anderson plug and 240V inlet. There’s also a water inlet hose to connect a mains water supply.

Another hose located in the offside storage compartment attaches to a pump capable of drawing a four metre head; great for keeping the water tanks full when close to a creek, and beats lugging jerry cans.

Also in this compartment is a pair of 120Ah batteries managed by a Redarc unit, along with switchgear for pumps and the camper’s power supply circuit breaker.

There are a couple of pigeon holes for storing camp gear including the lifting legs and two large, fibreglass moulded drawers that have rebates on each side that envelope a nylon covered protrusion on the cavity walls. This alleviates the need for metal roller slides and is so simple, yet indestructible and requires no maintenance.

These drawers run almost the full body width and are accessible from the inside living area once the tent top is erected. Earlier models featured aluminium drawers, which lacked strength compared with the current fibreglass units due to their length.

To erect the tent you need to unclip the lockdown catches in each corner and use a key fob remotely to electrically raise the lid. If you misplace the key fob a switch in the storage compartment can be used to activate the single screw actuator.

The unit can also be manually erected or packed away via a crank handle, should there be power supply issues.

The roof swings out and down to become the hard floor and has extendable legs to cope with undulating terrain.

Fully extended a fly sits high off the roof canvas to helping with cooling and ventilation and the canvas windows are large; especially the one at the the front of the tent which utilises double pull cords to roll it up.

An add-on awning can be placed out from here as well.

The shower screen is made from robust nylon- type material and suspends from a gantry that swings off the corner of the camper body.

The screen door abuts the front living area entrance and velcro ensures there are no gaps. The diesel heater has a hot water outlet just inside the entrance, and the shower rose passes over to the shower screen.

BIRD'S EYE VIEW

Inside the living area, neat moulded steps lead you up onto the bed, which is quite high off the hard floor. You can also use the sturdy drop-down table with support leg to stand on and assist the transition.

Once up on the mattress the bungee cords that draw the canvas in when the lid is retracted are released. The mattress sits snugly between two long sides which act as a bedside table, and the bedhead features personal LED reading lamps.

Back on the hard floor, the plumbing is located in a compartment beneath one of those long double access drawers; all easily accessible for maintenance.

Also easy to get to from here is the end of the kitchen pantry, via a pair of pigeon holes, and the actuating shaft to lift and lower the tent top sits out of the way but also accessible should it require servicing.

The kitchen is located in the back wall of the body behind a large door that hinges up, providing overhead shelter if it’s raining.

The sink bench folds down on a hinge, then swings on another hinge to an open position and can be locked in place, while a drawer in the front of the bench pulls out to access the three burner Dometic metho stove.

The pantry sits at the back of the rebate that holds the packed-away sink unit and has sliding perspex doors to keep contents secure.

The electronic switch gear is located above the pantry, along with the remote display for the Redarc battery management system.

EvaKool purposely designed a 12V fridge/freezer for this camper and it’s installed in the back wall of the kitchen. The freezer is at the front and the refrigerated compartment holds a large, removable bin. The controlling thermostat is attached to the sill above the fridge.

VERDICT

It might look similar but plenty has changed in the Travelander, with improvements to access, anti-bug lights, increased water capacity, the ability to pump from an external water source and stronger pull-out drawers. The diesel heater and power inverter are also new to the rig.

For most people it’s financially unviable to have a vehicle such as a Landcruiser for the sole purpose of carrying a camper unit. The beauty of this system is the ute can go back to work or carry some other payload for work or recreation.

You get the best of both worlds and do it in style with Travelander's DC4.

TRAVELANDER DC4 SLIDE ON

Overall length: 1800mm

External body width: 2000mm

Internal height: 1500m (approx) above bed

Travel height: 1150mm (above tray)

Tare: 530kg

Body/frame: Moulded fibreglass

Cooking: Dometic, three burner methylated spirits stove

Microwave: No

Fridge/freezer: Eva Kool 92L

Toilet: No

Shower: Nylon suspended curtain

Hot water/central heating: Diesel fired

Gas: No

Lighting: LED

Batteries: 2 x 120Ah

Solar: No

Water: 1 x 127L & 1 x 30L

Price: $33,800

Supplied by:

SEQ Campers, Caboolture Qld

More info:

Travelander, Sunshine Coast, Qld

Travelander DC4

Tags